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Cellulosic and lignocellulosic structural materials and methods and systems for manufacturing such materials |
| 8070912 |
Cellulosic and lignocellulosic structural materials and methods and systems for manufacturing such materials
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| Inventor: |
Medoff |
| Date Issued: |
December 6, 2011 |
| Application: |
13/019,304 |
| Filed: |
February 1, 2011 |
| Inventors: |
Medoff; Marshall (Brookline, MA)
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| Assignee: |
Xyleco, Inc. (Woburn, MA) |
| Primary Examiner: |
Daniels; Matthew |
| Assistant Examiner: |
Minskey; Jacob Thomas |
| Attorney Or Agent: |
Leber Patent Law P.Leber; Celia H. |
| U.S. Class: |
162/50; 162/158; 162/9 |
| Field Of Search: |
162/9; 162/50; 162/158 |
| International Class: |
D21C 5/00 |
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| Abstract: |
Methods of treating wood and wood products include irradiating untreated wood having a first molecular weight with ionizing radiation to cause an increase in the molecular weight of a cellulosic component of the wood to a second, relatively higher molecular weight. |
| Claim: |
What is claimed is:
1. A method of treating wood, the method comprising: irradiating untreated wood having a first molecular weight with electron beam radiation while controlling a gasblanketing the wood through which the electron beam passes, electrons of the beam having an energy of about 2.5 to about 10 MeV, to provide treated wood, in the form of sawn limber or a finished wood product, in which a cellulosic component of the woodhas a second, relatively higher molecular weight at least about 10% higher than the first weight.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gas blanketing the wood comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and chlorine.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising quenching the irradiated wood.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein quenching is performed in the presence of a gas selected to react with radicals present in the irradiated wood.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the increase in molecular weight is at least 50%.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein irradiating comprises irradiating multiple times.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the wood has multiple sides and irradiating comprises irradiating more than one side of the wood.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the wood is irradiated at a dose rate of at least 0.5 Mrad/s.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the wood is irradiated at a dose rate of at least 1 Mrad/sec. |
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